Cattle-guard.



No. 746,685. 4 l l PATENTE'D DEC. l5, 1903.v W. E. DBMENT & D. N. PRENDERGAST.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLIGATION HLBD AUG. 5, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

No. recess.

UNITED STATES' Patented December 15, 1903.

PATENT Orrucn.v

WALLACE E. DEMENT- AND DAVID N. PRENDERGAST, OF BLAINE,

' WASHINGTON.

CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 746,685, dated December 15, 1903.y

Application filed August 5, 1903. Serial No. 168,368. (No model.) n l To a/ZZ whom/'it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALLACE. E. DEMENT 1 and DAVID N. PRENDERGAST, citizens-of the United States, residing at Blaine, 'in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Cattle-Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cattle-guards for railroads; and it has for its objectto provide a device of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efciency.

Our invention relates particularly to that class of cattle-guards which are operated automatically by the weight of the cattle placing ktheir feet upon an inclined platform, which is normally supported in an elevated position by means of springs, counterweigh ts, or other suitable means, and which when depressed bythe weight of the animal will operate to throw into position a gate,which will prevent the animal from passing from a crossing onto the track.

The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a railroad-track intersected by a crossing and showing our improved guard or gate in operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the guard or gate folded within its casing with the lid removed Yto expose the construction. Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 8 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modification.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similar numerals of reference.

Our improved device comprises in its-construction a box or casing l, which is of suitable size to be disposed between two ties of a railroad-track, one of said devices being disposed at each side of a crossing, as will be readily understood. In Fig. l of the drawings only one has been shown, for the reason that the construction of the devices at opposite sides of the crossing is identical. The

box or Vcasing 1 is provided 'near the endsV The .box or casing 1 is provided at its up per inner edgewith a hinged lid 8, which inormally covers the casing and the contents thereof.

9 designates an inclined platform or approach which is provided at the sides thereof with metallic straps or arms 10, having extensionsll, which are pi'votally connected with suitable points of attachment which are permanently disposed with relation to the track. The edge of the approach or platform which adjoins the box or casing l is connected by means of pivoted links 12 with the wrists 6 of the cranks 4, the result being. that Whenever the upper end of the platform 9 is depressed the cran k-shafts 3 will turn axially, thus causing the arms 5 to swing upwardly, throwing open the cover of the box. These arms 5 5 are connected by a iiexible apron 14, which is suitably attached to each of said arms and which'when the latter are elevated to an approximately vertical position will become stretched, as willxbe seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thus interposing'aj'barrier to.

the animal operating .the device, Which will.

prevent said animal from passing over the crossing onto the track. The approach or platform 9 is normallyheld in a raised position by means consisting, for instance, of springsl,

suitably disposed beneathy its elevated end.

Other supporting means may be used, as here'- inbefore stated, within the scope` ofour .in-

vent-ion. The consequence is" that assoon as the animal steps off the inclined platform or approach the latter will be raised by the automatic action of the springs or other supporting means, the crank-shafts 3 will be tilted, and the arms 5, together with the flexible apron carried thereby, will be folded within IOO the box and concealed out of sight by the cover, which drops automatically into its closed position.

As already stated, our improved cattleguards are intended especially to be used at railway-crossings, one of the devices being used at either side of the crossing, so as to prevent animals from straying onto the track in either direction. The device, however, Will be found useful for other purposes, Where it shall be desired, for instance, to prevent cattle from straying from one pasture into another or in any place where it is desired to interpose a barrier. In such cases it may be desirable that the device shall be capable of being operated from either side, and this may be accomplished by the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, where it will be seen that the crank-shafts 3 are extended and provided with cranks at both ends thereof, as shown at land 49, said cranks being provided with wrists G 6a. By this construction approaches 9 and 9 may be supported at opposite sides of the device, so that the latter Will be actuated by cattle seeking to pass from either side of the device to lthe opposite side thereof.

An important feature of our invention is that while our improved device is strong and durable and easily operated by animals seeking to stray upon the railroad-track the construction at the same time is so light that if, having become accidentally displaced, it should be struck by a locomotive no danger or injury to the latter will result.

While we have in the foregoing described a simple and preferred construction of our invention, we desire it to be understood that We do not limit ourselves to the precise structural details herein shown and specified, but reserve the right to any changes and alterations as to size, proportion, and exact manner ofassemblage which may be resorted to Within the scope of our invention and without departing from the spirit or principles of the same or sacrificing the efficiency thereof.

Having thus described our invention, we claiml. In a device of the class described, a casing, bearings near the ends of the same, crankshafts mounted in said bearings, transversely to the casing, arms extending from said shafts longitudinally of the casing and normally within the latter, a pivotally-mounted platform having its free end supported in a raised position, and links connecting the said platform with the wrists of the cranks upon the crank-shafts.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, crank-shafts journaled near the ends thereof and transversely to said casing, arms extending from said crank-shafts, foldable within the casing, a flexible apron connecting said arms, and operating mechanism whereby the latter may be tilted to an upright position.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing, arms within said casing supported hingedly and adapted to be tilted to a raised position,a flexible apron connecting said arms, and a hinged cover adapted, by contact with said arms, to be lifted to an open position.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, shafts journaled near the ends of said casing, transversely thereto and having at one end laterally-extending arms adapted to fold within the casing, andl cranks at the other end, flexible connecting means for said arms adapted to be extended and to form a barrier when said arms are lifted to a raised position, a pivoted platform constituting an approach vand having its free end normally supported in a raised position, and links connecting lthe free end of said platform with the wrists of the cranks upon the shafts.

5. A cattle-guard comprising a pair of hingedly-inounted arms, a flexible apron connecting said arms, and means for swinging said arms to a raised position and thereby stretching the apron.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE E. DEMENT. DAVID N. PRENDERGAST. Witnesses:

M. ARoNsoN, JNO. J. PINCKNEY. 

